LOS ANGELES—On Friday, March 28, hundreds of activists gathered in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles to protest Turkey’s role in recent attacks against civilians in Kessab, Syria. The protest was organized by the Armenian Youth Federation and the Kessab Educational Association.

Civilians in Kessab were forced to flee their homes following attacks by al-Qaeda-linked groups on March 21.Turkey reportedly allowed hundreds of radical foreign fighters to cross its border and attack the civilian population, which includes over 2,000 Christian Armenians whose ancestors survived the Armenian Genocide. Armenian homes and churches were systematically desecrated and looted by the invaders. Some reports stated that injured extremists were returning to Turkey for medical treatment.

Protesters urged President Obama to condemn Turkey’s actions and demand that Turkey stop aiding the invaders immediately. The protest was paired with a social media campaign to bring attention and awareness to the atrocities taking place in Kessab facilitated by the Turkish government.

Social media users addressed the Kessab crisis using the hashtag #SaveKessab. The campaign began at 12 p.m. on Friday and continued throughout the weekend. AYF regions across the world contributed via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The social media campaign found success on Facebook, as the hashtag continues to trend today. On Twitter, there are nearly 100,000 tweets containing the hashtag, with an estimated reach of about 40 million people. Some high-profile tweets by Kim and Khloe Kardashians, The Game, Travis Barker, and Chris Martin also helped bring light to the campaign.

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Photo Credit Mike Chickey

Councilmen Paul Krikorian (Los Angeles) and Jack Hadjinian (Montebello) addressed the crowd at the protest and called for Turkey to stop helping the al-Qaeda-linked forces. Garo Ghazourian, Alique Cherchian and Alik Ourfalian delivered the AYF’s message.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

The Armenian Youth Federation stands in solidarity with all the victims in Kessab and their families around the world, who, day after day, struggle to survive as a result of a NATO ally’s continual disregard for human rights.

We condemn Turkey’s role in helping al-Qaeda-linked forces attack civilians, desecrate homes and religious institutions, and violently remove an entire ethnic population that has called Kessab home for over a thousand years. This is an imminent issue that must be addressed by the international community, as these savage attacks have continued since March 21.

The United States has a responsibility to demand that Turkey immediately halt all assistance to the radical groups occupying Kessab.

President Obama, we urge you to send a clear message to Turkey that our nation does not condone military strikes targeted against innocent men, women, and children.

Secretary of State John Kerry, it is your right and duty to denounce Turkey’s acts as unacceptable under any circumstances and a clear violation of international law.

Joining us today will be activists from around the world, all walks of life, connected through one common cause: to bring awareness and justice; to save Kessab.

On Saturday, March 8, the Armenian Youth Federation Hollywood “Musa Dagh” Chapter held the 10th Annual Little Armenia Beautification Project (LABP), in conjunction with the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Hollywood Chapter. The event was sponsored by Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-D), the Office of California State Senator Kevin De León, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, Hollywood Beautification Team, the Rotary Club of Thai Town, and the Thai Community Development Center.

“The LABP is a wonderful way to mobilize the youth and unite them for a cause that is meant to give back to the community. This year, we had the pleasure of working with different organizations such as East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, the Rotary Club of Thai Town and the Thai Community Development Center. In addition, there was also representation from Beads for Battle and the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. We had hundreds of volunteers partake in beautifying the streets of Little Armenia, and it is comforting to know that the youth and other organizations teamed up to make the 10th annual cleanup a success.” –Azniv Khararjian
Approximately 200 volunteers from various community organizations gathered in the courtyard of Rose and Alex Pilibos High School in the morning to hear opening remarks by various community leaders, including Congressman Adam Schiff, Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, and ANCA-WR Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan. The volunteers then took to the streets with brooms and shovels in hand, excited to take ownership of Little Armenia by removing hundreds of pounds of trash and cleaning graffiti from the streets of Hollywood.

In addition to the cleanup, this year also featured a festival aimed at celebrating the volunteers’ and community’s work, where various local artists performed. Artists included Hoy Lari, Noushig Sarkissian, Shiraz Yeghiazarian, Haig Garabedian, Vartan Taymazian, Apo Mahserejian, and more. Additionally, a portion of the festival was dedicated to International Women’s Day, which also falls on March 8th.

“The festival following the LABP was a great way to interact with the local community and learn about different organizations from cities all of Los Angeles. Beads for Battle was very happy to be part of the event and had the opportunity to raise awareness about cancer with the Armenian and Thai communities. We hope to collectively work with the LABP committee in the upcoming years” -Cynthia Keyllian of Beads For Battle

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Since the official designation of “Little Armenia” in 2004, the AYF has been working with then Councilmember, now Mayor, Eric Garcetti to organize the neighborhood beautification project, which, according to the Los Angeles Sanitation Department, has resulted in the collection of over 40,000 pounds of trash.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

On March 2, the Armenian Youth Federation Crescenta Valley “Zartonk” Chapter hosted its annual Open Mic Night at the Crescenta Valley Armenian Center.

The much-anticipated event had over 90 people in attendance. It was free and open to the public free. There were more than 25 performances, including the UCLA ASA dance group, musician Raffi Semerjian, bands Ooshatsank and Green KARD, as well as a wide variety of poets, singers, actors and comedians.

“Zartonk” members sold homemade food and drinks to the attendees. Raffle tickets were also sold to benefit a fundraiser by the Crescenta Valley “Garegin Njteh” AYF Juniors, the proceeds of which will go toward Sose & Allen’s Memorial Forest.

In addition to the live performances, a section of the center displayed a variety of artwork by young artist Ani Terzian. “I am very thankful the ‘Zartonk’ Chapter gave me the opportunity to showcase my artwork,” she said. “The performances were great and I am very glad to share the title of an artist with them.”

Christina Der Sarkissian, Crescenta Valley “Zartonk” member and Ooshatsank lead vocalist, said, “’Zartonk’’s Open Mic Night is one of my favorite events hosted by our chapter. It provides a great platform for exposing artistic talent in our community and encourages us to use art as gateway for expressing feelings we could not share otherwise.

Attendees were also encouraged to use the hashtag #ZartonkOpenMic to post about the event.

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Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

The AYF and ANCA Hollywood chapters are teaming up with Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Office of Senator Kevin De León, East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, the Hollywood Beautification Team, the Rotary Club of Thai Town and the Thai Community Development Center to clean and beautify the streets of Little Armenia in Hollywood. Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-D) and Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell have both confirmed their attendance to the event’s opening ceremony.
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Volunteers will gather in the courtyard of Rose and Alex Pilibos High School at 9am to hear opening remarks by various community leaders before they begin to beautify the streets of Hollywood. At 1pm, after the cleanup, there will be a festival celebrating the volunteers’ and community’s work, where various local artists will perform. Additionally, a portion of the festival will be dedicated to International Women’s Day, which also falls on March 8th.

Since the official designation of “Little Armenia” in 2004, the AYF has been working with then Councilmember, now Mayor, Eric Garcetti to organize the neighborhood beautification project, which, according to the Los Angeles Sanitation Department, has resulted in the collection of over 40,000 pounds of trash.

On Sunday, March 30, the Armenian Youth Federation Glendale “Roupen” Chapter will be hosting the Glendale Career Fair at the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center beginning at 2 p.m.

Companies and employers taking part in the fair will present their job and internship opportunities, as well as networking opportunities, to the Glendale community. Résumé workshops and mock interviews will also be offered in an effort to prepare participants for career environments.

“Career fairs are a great resource to take advantage of, especially in a time where jobs and opportunities are in a constant flux,” said Lori Boghigian, a member of the “Roupen” Chapter. “By participating in the Glendale Career Fair, you can network with business professionals and discover ways to advance your career in the direction you want.”

Organizations taking part in the event include the ANCA Professional Network, the Armenian Relief Society, Asbarez Daily Newspaper, the AYF, the City of Glendale, the Glendale Police and Fire Departments, New York Life, Tutors & Sitters, The Walt Disney Co., and Wells Fargo.

The event is open to the public and admission is free. It will last until 6 p.m.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.